Those “Defend Brooklyn” Shirts Might Have More Cross-Generational Appeal Than Originally Thought

May 31, 2011

“A lot of people from the old days carry guns. One of these days one of these suburban kids is going to say the wrong thing to the wrong person.”
—Longtime Williamsburg resident Sunny Chapman speaks to the Times about the gentrification that’s been affecting her neighborhood for the better part of the past 10 years, and how some people might be on the verge of a mad-is-hell moment, in a lengthy story on the Brooklyn neighborhood’s growing pains. Much of the Times piece is about the Open Space Alliance’s concerts at East River State Park, which have ticked off some residents because of lingering crowds and the way they take over the public spaces with porta-potties, early-kickoff soundchecks, and blockages of the playgrounds. (There’s also a dismissive reference to “bridge and tunnel” people now coming from Manhattan, which ha.) This year, the shows have been limited to 15 and will operate under a host of constraints: “no weekend shows in July and August… five of the concerts will be free, including four that are intended to be quiet: two children’s shows, a comedy performance and a classical concert.” Soundchecks will also begin at noon, as opposed to 10 am. And let’s hope that there’s extra screening for firearms in the shows’ environs, because yipes.